How to FINALLY Get Your Blogs Seen
According to one of the world’s foremost experts on online marketing, over 2 million blogs are released every day. That’s a lot of competition! Ready to stand out? Here are a few hard and fast rules for writing the best blogs.
We all know that content marketing is the cornerstone of any business. Consistent, fact-checked blogs or articles lends credibility to your knowledge and business as a whole. New keyword-rich content is also the best way to signal search engines that your business has a viable, important site that should be crawled often and rewarded with higher search rankings. But even if you have the knowledge and ability to write relevant content, how do you get it seen?
Keep the Content Relevant and Accurate
Find the topics that will interest potential followers and stick to them. Stay true to your business plan and pick a goal for each piece. Do you want to garner more leads, get more brand awareness, engage more with your viewer, retain your current customers, or upsell a new product?
You may want to offer a helpful solution that highlights your expertise or highlight a certain product or service that has your own USP (unique selling proposition) . Whatever the topic, just be sure your blog stays focused on your intended result.
Source: https://www.hubspot.com/marketing-statistics
Research Competitors and Find Out What is Trending
Visit other sites and conduct research on what currently searched topics in your targeted demographic. Find out what type of content works form them and what isn’t working. Maybe you will see an opportunity to fill in a gap. Compare the quality of their content to yours and see if yours matches up.
The first step is to identify who your top competitors are. Run a Google search and find out if they have a blog. You can then subscribe to a number of different services (Ahrefs, NinjaOutreach, Ubersuggest, or others) that will check their SEO ranking, site traffic, load time, quality of content and more.
Once you have the data, you can begin to see where your content can either fill in the gaps or outshine the competition.
Branding is Important
You will want your readers to immediately know it is you and your business when reading any of your material. At a minimum, a professional logo will set the tone and let your visitors know that they can trust your content. A few other things to consider:
While topics may differ, keep the overall layout of blogs fairly consistent. This will breed familiarity and trust with your readers.
Create a content hub so readers can quickly scan and find the article that appeals to them. Also known as “information hubs” or “resource centers”, a content hub is a central location that organizes all of your topics automatically. When you create a new article or blog, it will fall in the correct category in the hub making it easy to spot and even easier for search engines to crawl. This will translate into higher traffic and conversion because search engines will begin to rank your material higher. They also help your overall SEO by having the opportunity to include many more ranked keywords and phrases in your content.
People often will want to find out more about the author so ensure your “About” page on your website is strong.
Find a writing style that is comfortable to you and stick with it. Having one article strictly professional and another “chatty” will only confuse your readers.
Try to stick to a publishing schedule. This is often easier said than done but if viewers are expecting new material, it’s best not to give them the opportunity to look elsewhere. If you find the time, you can write many blogs at one time, then schedule them to be released at regular intervals. If this is still an impossible feat, consider hiring a content marketing ghostwriter like Charlotte’s Web Designs, LLC.
Source: https://www.marketingprofs.com/articles/2015/27698/2-million-blog-posts-are-written-every-day-heres-how-you-can-stand-out
Use a Compelling Title
Yes, it is important to create an SEO-friendly title so your blog appears near the top of searches, but it has to appeal to the viewer as well. According to MarketingProfs, 80% of viewers will read the title but only 20% will continue on and read the article. If you only make the title more appealing, you can increase that chance of being read by 500%! You can incite curiosity, be unusual, shock or exaggerate, or be exceptionally useful.
Readers tend to like “How To’s” and “Top Ways” articles but begative headlines also work incredibly well. “Worst blog writing mistakes” or “What not to do” can increase curiosity and propel your reader into finding out more.
Find Great Images & Videos
A picture is worth a thousand words, right? It turns out, images on a website are worth a lot more than that. Images are memorable. Studies show that content with images get over 90% more views than text alone. When is the last time you looked at a page of text and was intrigued to look again? The right picture can grab attention, draw someone in, and make them want to learn more.
Would you rather read about everything that a moving company can do for you, or would you rather see several strong capable movers deftly handling that baby grand piano? Would you rather read about what an interior designer can do for you or see the actual before and after results? Using photos that show potential customers or clients something they cannot or do not want to for themselves is a powerful selling tool.
Here are some image guidelines:
Images should reflect the company’s mission and goals. While you may love your dog and think everyone in the world will think he is adorable, he is not going to sell your product. In fact, customers will think your priority is not on them. Your pictures should be carefully curated to ensure your clients feel that you are there for them.
Your images should depict positivity and potential rewards. Images with people tend to connect better and make them more relatable.
Use “hero” shots which are pictures showing what your company does better than anyone else.
Use images that are intriguing enough to cause someone to want to repost them. This is the ultimate online marketing. When an image goes viral, you are getting exponential exposure.
Get the best quality photo you can. There. is nothing that says you don’t care than a poor quality, blurry photo that no amount of photoshopping can fix. After all, if you can’t be bothered to have good photos of your work, how well will you take care of a client?
Ensure your images are labeled with the correct metadata so that search engines can more easily find them. Every photo should have multiple keywords attached to it to increase your SEO capabilities.
When your site is found in search listings, those with images are more apt to draw attention, giving you more clicks.
Thumbnail images are all important. Try searching for any topic and you will see that the ones with clear thumbnail images are more enticing. According to studies, 60% of potential customers said they are more likely to choose a site that has an image on their search result listing.
Have a great photo or infographic that you are willing to share? Consider allowing others to use it in exchange for a link back to your own site.
Video are an even better option is that is available to you.
There are a number of royalty free sites available to find the right images, videos and infographics, or you can create your own . Either way, just make sure the image is clear and relates well to your content.
Don’t Be Boring
There is nothing worse than a droning, dull commentary. Find a way to write the way you speak and you will keep more attention. Read top-trending blogs often and you will see that they flow easily. Be engaging. Spark interest. Tell a story.
Humans crave connection and storytelling is the oldest way to convey ideas and develop deeper connections. We, as business owners, can use storytelling to help explain what our product or service can mean to our customers in a way that keeps their interest and helps them relate to the material.
Storytelling is also a powerful method for education allowing us to use stories to transmit information in an engaging manner. Done well, complex themes or concepts can be broken down into easily digestible pieces while our customers are intrigued and want to know more.
Storytelling will give your customers a break in the vast sea of online media. It allows them to build become interested, identify with the story, and ultimately feel a connection with your brand.
Last, storytelling can give your company a large voice, no matter what size company you have.
Click here to learn more about the art of storytelling.
Use Infographics and/or Video
Images are good resulting in twice the interaction, but infographics are even better. They are liked and shared up to 3 times more than other content. Not that creative with Adobe’s Creative Suite? Canva is another great choice for amateurs that continues to get better over time.
Here are some video facts:
65% are visual learners
72% prefer video over text
85% of Facebook videos are played without sound
Americans spend 24 hours a week online
Average human attention span is 8 seconds
Images are processed 60,000 times faster than text alone
74% of marketing video watchers eventually buy the product
Videos in introductory emails increase click through rate by 96%
Entertaining videos encourage social sharing
Learn more about using video on your website here.
Longer Posts Do Better
This may seem counterintuitive. While we don’t want to bore our readers, research shows that blogs with about 2500 words consistently rank higher than those with less. Longer posts are also shared more often, convert more easily, and get more backlinks.
Does this mean all topics warrant a longer post? No, we don’t want “filler”. When choosing a topic, be aware of the optimal length and try to see if you are able to write concisely and still reach that magic 2000-3000 range. If not and the topic is still relevant, perhaps it can logically be combined with another topic or better left as is.
To give you a better idea of the size, this post has approximately 2800 words.
Find the Right Promotional Channels
Here is the part where most content writers fail: finding the right channels to promote your content. You can have the best article in the world but if no one can find it to read it, you just wasted all your time. Just like having a beautiful website with no SEO, blogs need to be promoted in order to be found.
Every business is different and has a different focus, but here are some of the basic options to try:
If you have a B2C (business to consumer business), Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok may be your best bet.
B2B (business to business)? LinkedIn is a natural fit. It is a great way to post a teaser about your blog and have the reader click on your website to finish the article.
Facebook is actually a great fit for all. All you need is a business page. It is important to note that if you post the same content more than once, Facebook may tag you as a spammer. I used to be able to join numerous groups and share my post hundreds of times, but Facebook no longer allows this. You can, however, revamp your content and change the title occasionally.
If you want to post multiple times, Twitter is the way to go. In fact, tweets disappear so quickly, it is the only way to reach multiple viewers.
Vlogs and Podcasts
If you have a smartphone, you can become a Youtube superstar. With over 1 billion users, Youtube may be the break your business needs. A video blog (also known as a vlog) is a blog in video form. You can create your own Youtube channel and basically be the host of your own show! And Youtube isn’t the only game in town. You can publish your vlogs on other platforms like Instagram, Facebook Live, Flickr, and Twitch.
Things to consider:
Your branding should shine through every piece to ensure that viewers connect the content and knowledge to your business. At a minimum, have a professional logo and banner created.
Ensure that you are providingvaluable, compelling content that viewer actually care about
The filming should be clear and of professional quality. If you are just testing the waters, a smartphone may suffice but eventually your may want to invest in a high-quality vlogging camera, microphone, lighting, and editing software.
Camera-shy but still want to harness the power of multimedia? Consider a podcast! You have many outlets to choose from: Apple or Google Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You may even find that your topic deserves a whole series of podcasts.
Learn more about leveraging all social media platforms here.
Optimize Your Blog
Keywords, SEO, metatags, H1 and H2 headings… Learn how to optimize your blog behind the scenes and ensure you have all the right components.
Google is constantly changing its algorithm so keeping up can be tricky. Consider the following:
According to SpyFu, dwell time is an indirect factor that can still affect your ranking. Basically, it is the amount of time spent on a web page. The more interesting and reverent your content, the more people will spend time on it.
The bounce rate is the percentage of vlewers who visit a page but then return without clicking any links or visiting other pages. Even if someone spends an hour on your site, if nothing was clicked, it is considered a bounce.
Page speed is another important factor. If your page is loading slowly due to overuse of specialized coding, plugins, un-optimized images or videos, it will not be ranked well.
All device-optimization is also key, especially the mobile version. Since more than half of all search traffic is via smartphone, your blog must be mobile-friendly.
Be aware of the index date. Indexing helps search engines organize your website including associated every page on the site to a certain topic. Fresh content is more likely to be ranked higher because it is more relevant. So can you refresh an old blog? Absolutely! And you should especially if the topic is still current and treading.
Here are some blog optimization tips from HubSpot:
Use 1–2 long-tail keywords.
Use keywords strategically throughout the blog post.
Optimize for mobile devices.
Optimize the meta description.
Include image alt text.
Limit topic tags.
Include user-friendly URL structures.
Link to related blog posts.
Repurpose Your Old Blogs
If you have a whole library of blogs that have not done well, don’t worry. As long as the topic is still viable, your time may not be wasted. In fact, updating and revamping old blogs is a great marketing strategy! Here are some steps to take into consideration:
Ensure the topic is still relevant to your current business model
Consider updating the title and opening image to something “catchier”
As you review the content, see where you can add more intriguing images, infographics, and/or video to add interest
Add links to previous blog where appropriate
Increase the word count to the optimal 2500 if possible
Increase your organic visibility by revisiting your on-page SEO and ensure that all currently trending keywords are being used
Re-release your blog in all the channels appropriate for your business.
Are you a B2B provider - use LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook
B2C - try Instagram, Pinterest,, and Facebook
Is your blog a good candidate to be repurposed into a vlog or podcast? Then you have a whole new audience to attract using Youtube, Apple or Google Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You may even find that your topic deserves a whole series of podcasts or followup videos.
Ask for Help
Small business owners must wear many hats: CEO, CFO, Product Specialist, Customer Service Manager, and many more. Not every business owner has the time or experience to write relevant content on a consistent basis, not to mention the knowledge to utilize SEO or social media to its fullest extent.
Please contact Charlotte’s Web Designs, LLC for content marketing as part of your overall marketing plan. With over 100 businesses and counting, CWD has a perfect 5-star rating for several reasons: over 30 years technology and marketing experience, customer service, reliability, and unparalleled results. Please visit my current portfolio here and reach out to get started.